Q&A: Should I feel fetal movement near my cervix?

Hmmm. This is a hard one to answer! While I have heard moms say they definitely felt fetal movement at 13 weeks pregnant, there is no way it would be strong enough to produce a sense of kicking at the cervix. Unless you are further along than believed, this must be something else.

I sense you are on the right track thinking the feeling is a gastrointestinal sensation. The rectum lies behind the vagina, parallel tubes passing through your pelvis. Anything distending the rectum can be felt in the vagina. So gas in the rectum may be perceived as motion within the vagina. And pregnancy can certainly make us gassy—whether from the surge in the hormone progesterone, or from our attempts at eating a healthier (and less constipating) diet.

As pregnancy progresses, many moms-to-be do feel a sensation of fetal kicking into the vagina or at the cervix; in those cases, the baby is usually in the breech position, with its feet pointing down. Most babies revert to head first by the last month of pregnancy, and that sensation finally disappears.

The best I can tell you right now is that this is strange, but unlikely to represent any sort of serious problem. Be sure to tell your doctor or midwife, so they can put the whole story together in the context of the rest of your obstetrical care.